[Hidden-tech] WiredWest fiberoptic broadband

[Robert Heller]

At Tue, 13 Apr 2010 22:58:24 -0400 "Town Websites" <townwebsites at gmail.com> wrote:

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> For what it's worth, I'm amazed to see 39 towns have put this on their town
> meeting warrants.  I can't recall any regional initiative at the municipal
> level of this scope, reaching across several regional councils of government
> with a combined population I guesstimate around that of Northampton plus
> Greenfield combined; towns don't often even cooperate with their immediate
> neighbors on projects like this.  That alone suggests to me either than
> Wired West is very well organized, or has a compelling and timely issue, or
> both.  

Wired West has been organized from the bottom up: most (all?) of the 39
towns have had 'broadband committees' that have been looking to get
some kind of broadband to their towns and have been fustrated by the
likes of Verizon and Comcast for *years* (decades?).  These broadband
committees have been meeting, often jointly, over this period and have
generally been in communication with each other, networking with each
other at various regional meetings, press conferences, and so on. The
FRCOG and other county-level agencies have also been involved as well.
Wired West is pretty much the outgrowth of this.  Yes it is "compelling
and timely".  Very much so. 

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> I don't really know the history of rural electrification, telephone service,
> roads, and municipal services such as water and sewer, but this *is*
> advocating the government, by taking municipal  action in a regional
> coalition.  As a commodity service which is a natural monopoly in the last
> mile, I think broadband, like water and sewer, can be well served by a
> municipally operated provider, especially where the private sector hasn't
> been able to provide service. 
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> FYI, the Broadband 123 initiative doesn't try to cover the last mile; it
> brings high bandwidth broadband to selected central locations.  That's a
> complimentary piece of the puzzle, and isn't the hardest piece to get the
> private sector to provide.  The hardest piece is to get service everywhere
> that electric and telephone wires already reach.
> 
>  
> 
> Charlie Heath
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> Town Websites
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> From: hidden-discuss-bounces at lists.hidden-tech.net
> [mailto:hidden-discuss-bounces at lists.hidden-tech.net] On Behalf Of Ed Morris
> Sent: Monday, April 12, 2010 10:39 PM
> To: 'Hidden Tech'
> Subject: Re: [Hidden-tech] WiredWest fiberoptic broadband
> 
>  
> 
> Appologies for posting with a tone of skepticism, I commend coordinated
> community action when something needs to be done - but it seems by the time
> a small local inititive if/when gets agreed, funded and moving, other
> options may become more attractive:
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> http://www.high-speed-internet-access-guide.com/satellite/rural-internet.htm
> l
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> http://www.massbroadband.org/
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> http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=gov3pressrelease
> <http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=gov3pressrelease&L=1&L0=Home&sid=Agov3&b=pressr
> elease&f=032510_broadband&csid=Agov3>
> &L=1&L0=Home&sid=Agov3&b=pressrelease&f=032510_broadband&csid=Agov3
> 
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> I don't think it's a matter of 'IF' high speed internet access will ever
> reach rural areas, it's more a matter of when.    Back when roads were
> starting to be built around the US, rural communities didn't try to pave
> their own...they advocated the gov and dealt with country road until the
> funding made it out their way.   This is one reason property value and
> property taxes are more expensive in more populated areas: the choice of
> convienence.   Like paved roads, high speed utility access will eventually
> make it to you and everywhere....you'll just have a bumpy ride till then.
> :)
> 
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